william often refered to the darker side of his character as the 'ugly spirit' - he invisioned this part of himself as a seprate entity that would, at times, attempt to invade the very essance of his being. his efferts to ward off this 'evil' spirit was, according to burroughs, a struggle which would remain for the duration of his life.
burroughs represents as the 'hermit', an inner-awairness of this 'dark' presence, its potential for self-distruction, as well as the necessity of the 'darkness' each of us as a channel for the light to travel through. when we are honest and confront the 'dark' we will come to realize that all of our fears are products of the unknown, and that the mysterious forces of life are actualy clues to an inner potential, which reflects within each individual the awesome power of the universe.
the awairness of this inner-self and its connection to the most powerful and fundamental mechanics of the universe is also an awairness of the struggle to maintain to maintain ballance. for this reason it is often necessary to withdraw from the pack, to look within, to feel that a sense of emptiness is a necessary part of the fullness of life.
ovm
